Fact: Pennsylvania subsidizes rural roads at a much higher rate than mass transit.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch made it a point to reiterate that when he visited The Patriot-News Editorial Board last week. The last thing this state needs is for the transportation funding debate to get derailed by territorial bickering.

Pennsylvania is set to debate transportation funding in 2013.file

Transportation isn’t an urban vs. rural issue, it’s a Pennsylvania issue. The easier companies and tourists can move around the Keystone State, the more economic benefits for everyone. Government statistics back that up; so should the political rhetoric.

Gov. Tom Corbett promises to unveil a transportation funding plan around the time of his budget proposal. It’s about time.

As everyone knows, the state’s roads and bridges are in deplorable shape. The average age of our bridges is 51 years. Some bridges are in such bad shape that firetrucks and school buses no longer are allowed to cross them.

Conservative estimates are that the state is underfunding transportation by $2 billion a year. That’s before anyone discusses the reality that major highways such as I-95 in Philadelphia will need to be improved in the not-too-distant future.

The bottom line is we need more funding for our transportation infrastructure. After months, if not years, of this newspaper and numerous lawmakers and business leaders from across the political spectrum shouting for this problem to be addressed, it looks like we might get something accomplished in 2013.

While we await details from Corbett, all hints from the PennDOT secretary are that “user fees” are going up. In plain speak, that likely means a higher gas tax at the pump, more expensive licensing fees and more tolls, among other revenue sources.

The idea is to spread the wealth — or perhaps better said, spread the pain. We agree.

Those who drive more should pay more. While no one enjoys more expenses, it is the fairest way to address the problem.

And, as many trucking company owners have pointed out, getting a plan in place for the next decade will at least make the increases predictable — a much better scenario than the guesswork of trying to predict yearly whims of the Legislature and federal government.

When the plan comes out, there likely will be lawmakers and Pennsylvanians who object to parts of it, especially if it means a toll in their area. But the “not in my backyard” mentality has to end.

The state’s last transportation plan under Gov. Ed Rendell was based largely on tolling I-80. That never happened because the federal government denied the toll after heavy lobbying from congressmen serving that area. We can’t afford that kind of turf fighting again. If the tolls are spread across the state, lawmakers need to get on board.

Residents also have to realize that the oil company franchise tax — more commonly thought of as the tax you pay at the gas pump — hasn’t increased in 19 years. Similarly, there hasn’t been a major price increase on annual driver’s license and registration fees since 1997.

No one likes paying more, but at least we will be able to see where this money is going — into a smoother ride to work, play or vacation.